https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=674
Hi Everyone,
It was great getting to see everyone last week and it was especially exciting to welcome so many new people to our building and to see you all fit right in. I hope everyone managed to find some time to relax over the weekend before we have our first week with students beginning in a couple days.
I have ten items of note for this week:
• All Recycling Containers in the Hall by Tuesday Morning – Be sure to have all of your recycling in the hallway by Tuesday morning. If you want to have it out of your room before the first day of school, be sure your recycle bins are in the hallway outside your door by this time.
• Assessment Windows – To help folks with planning, below are the district and state testing windows. easyCBM will be administered the same as last year. Teachers may order subs in AESOP if you choose. If you would like help with entering scores, give your scores to Ruby (for YG) or Jon (for Corridor) no later than Friday, September 16th. After that date, teachers will need to enter their own scores by September 23rd. With OAKS testing, we ask teacher not test student until January at the earliest. More details can be found on the 4J Assessment/Testing website.easyCBM Reading (K-5) and Math (1-5):
Fall: September 7 – September 23
OAKS:
Reading & Math (grades 3-5), Science (grade 5 only): October 13 – May 19• Welcome Back/PBIS Assemblies – Both schools are planning to hold Welcome Back/PBIS assemblies this week. Corridor’s will be first on Wednesday, September 7th, with classes leaving for the cafeteria starting at 9:05 and the assembly running from 9:15-9:40. The YG assembly will be Friday, September 9th, with classes leaving at 9:30 for the gym and the assembly running from 9:40-10:00.
• Allan on Superintendent Cabinet – I’ve been asked to serve on the Superintendent’s Cabinet, formerly called Superintendent’s Staff, which serves as a sounding board and steering group for the superintendent. The group is comprised of all the department heads and directors, along with four principals, two elementary, one middle and one high. This means that twice a month on Thursdays from 9:00-11:00, I will be out of the building and down at the Ed Center. The good news is that Carolynne Hopkins will be here to cover for me on the days I am at these meetings, though she has to miss the first one on September 22nd.
• Optional Q&A Meeting for New Staff, Tuesday at 1:00 – I’ll hold an optional question and answer meeting for new staff this Tuesday at 1:00 in the Corridor library. I’m of course always available for staff, but this is your chance to barrage me with any and all questions you might have.
• Voicemail Set-Up & Phone Manual – If you need a reminder of how to set up your voicemail or how to use your phone, attached is the Voice Mail Set-Up Guide and also the general Phone System User Guide. For staff with a direct phone line, be sure you have this set-up by the end of the week as secretaries will be delivering messages to you via voice mail and not paper messages. Let me know if you need any help with this.
• K-5 District Math Professional Development Calendar – As an FYI, attached is the District Math Professional Development Calendar for this schools year.
• Excellent Michael Fullan Article – Attached is a compelling article by Michael Fullan titled “Choosing the wrong drivers for whole system reform”. Shelley shared this article with principals and the school board and although it’s not exactly light reading, it’s a great article and also gives you an idea of where Shelley wants to take the school district.
• New 4J Superintendent Featured in National Publication – The latest issue of a national education magazine profiled ten courageous acts of leadership by superintendents across the country, one of which is our new superintendent, Shelley Berman.
• Start the Year Right – Explicit Instruction of Student Expectations (AKA: Sweat the Small Stuff) – Don’t be like the neanderthal teacher in this “Sesame Street News Flash: The First Day of School in History” video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKYDaGvUpBs[/youtube]
Remember to “sweat the small stuff” the first few weeks of school as you set out your routines and expectations with students for how you want to live with each other for the next nine months. And if you would like a positive example of how to explicitly teach your routines and expectations, watch this short video with master teacher Anita Archer give very explicit expectations for this group of students.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT2o6TU3z0s[/youtube]
Here’s to kicking off a great school year!
Allan